Ship Photos of the Day – Building the Marlins, The World’s First LNG Containerships

The second of two Marlin-class containerships was launched over the weekend at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego where the vessels are being built for TOTE Maritime.

The two ships are the first containerships in the world to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), which will help reduce NOx emissions by 98 percent, SOx by 97 percent, carbon dioxide by 72 and particulate matter by 60 percent over the TOTE Maritime’s Ponce Class ships and make them among the most environmentally friendly ships of their type in the world.

The vessels, named Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe, were purpose-built for the Jones Act Puerto Rican trade and will be operated by TOTE subsidiary Sea Star Line out of Jacksonville, Florida.

The Perla del Caribe will enter service in the first quarter of 2016 between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Isla Bella, the first Marlin-class vessel, launched in April of 2015 and will enter service later this year.

Here’s a collection of photos from their construction at NASSCO:

Some of the first blocks laid for one of the new Marlin-class containerships at NASSCO. Construction on the first ship began with the steel cutting in February 2014. Photo: TOTE, Inc.

Photo: TOTE, Inc.

Propeller shaft. Photo: TOTE, Inc.

Each ship is equipped with a single MAN B&W ME-GI dual-fuel gas-powered engine. Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO